March 24, 2006

You will probably be aware from the press and broadcast media that various unions including UNISON intend to take industrial action on Tuesday 28 March. Local press reports about the probable impact on schools are not accurate and no-one from the press has contacted me to clarify the position for our school. Let me do so now.

Musselburgh Grammar School will remain open.

The school will have been cleaned, FES FM who maintain the building will arrange for it to be opened as usual even if janitors are involved in industrial action. Teaching staff are not taking industrial action so pupils will be following their usual timetable and will be taught by their usual teacher.

Catering staff will be taking industrial action, however. Pupils who are on free school meals will be able to collect a packed lunch from the Dining Hall at lunchtime on Tuesday.

Other pupils should NOT load money onto their Smartcard for Tuesday meals as no service will be available for them either at morning break or at lunchtime. I would suggest pupils bring a packed lunch or make arrangements to go outwith the school for lunch.

I would stress that the absence of catering facilities is not sufficient reason for pupils not to attend school and I expect pupils to attend as normal.

I have been notified that Lothian Buses will be on strike – parents of pupils from Wallyford will need to make other arrangements to get their children to school. The school will be sympathetic to such pupils and will not mark them as late so long as they are in school by 9.30am. The Whitecraigbus is a private hire and is not affected by industrial action so pupils will be able to travel to school as normal.

Where a pupil is not at school and we have received no indication of the reason for absence, parents will receive an automated phone call in the usual way.

March 21, 2006

Staffing

Mr Wishart has taken over Miss McIntosh’sremit as Interim Acting Depute Head Teacher, with Miss Morton joining Miss Wilkinson in Caird House and dealing with the pupils in Mr Wishart’s Guidance group.

Several members of staff will be staying with us as permanent members of staff in August – Mr O’Connor in English, Ms Young in Geography, Ms Armstrong in CDT and Ms McGregor in Biology.

PTA Car Boot Sale ( from 10 o’clock until noon)

A reminder that following the successful event earlier this year, another car boot sale is planned for Saturday 22nd April – first Saturday after the Easter holiday, so plenty of time to clear the attic and the garage! Admission is free to customers, with a charge of £5 for sellers with cars or £7 for vans.

HMIE Report on Musselburgh Grammar School

The report has been written: the official release date is Tuesday 28th March. All parents will receive a copy home via your son or daughter along with an accompanying letter from me. I think parents will be very pleased with the contents of the report.

Easter Study

Mrs Mackie is finalising the Easter Study programme for this year, and information should be reaching S4-6 pupils quite soon. Parents should realise that staff involvement in the Easter Study programme is entirely voluntary and that not all subjects will be involved. Parents should encourage their children to sign up for the relevant sessions as they are a very effective way of improving a pupil’s knowledge, skills and exam technique.

SQA Examination Schedule for Diet 2006

We issue personalised timetables closer to the start of the examinations. However, all pupils in S4 – S6 should have started on their revision programme at the start of March.

To help you know the running order of examinations, you can find out the dates and length of subject examination papers by going to the SQA website. The address is: www.sqa.org.uk. Click on the “Who are you?” box as a pupil and GO,click on “Exam Timetable 2006”, and click on “Access the Personal Timetable Builder”. If pupils enter the subjects they are taking they will get their own timetable.

Please note that the actual start and finish times of examination held in the school may vary from the SQA details – go by your personalised timetable. (The Art Practical Examinations occur before the first listed examinations and will be notified to you on your timetable.)

Detentions for Latecoming

The Senior Management Team and Guidance staff have become increasingly concerned at the number of pupils strolling into school well after 8.45 p.m. and decided some action was required. Good timekeeping is an important life skill and poor timekeeping will not be tolerated by employers – nor by us.

When a pupil arrives after 8.55 (thus completely missing registration) they are being handed a detention slip unless they have a very good reason for being late. Detention takes place from 12.45 to 12.55 that same day under SMT supervision in the Hall. We pursue pupils who claim to “forget” they have been set detention.

Having now operated this system for a week, we are seeing a decline in the numbers of latecomers. Where a pupil is persistently late, we are asking to see parents.

If your child has a medical or dental appointment which means they will arrive late, it would be very helpful if you could provide a note so that your child is not set detention.

Course Choice Forms

S2 pupils should now have submitted their course choice forms for next year: they are being processed and we will soon begin to identify problematic course choices and be in touch with pupils.

S5 and S6 pupils are approaching the deadline for submission of forms along with their signed Senior School Contract form. S6 pupils should be carefully considering their option choices in the light of their performance in their preliminary exams: the interim reports have just been issued to parents.

End of term events

The Easter Service will take place on Thursday 30th March. The Senior Pupils are running a Talent Show competition on the morning of the last day of term Friday 31st March. Pupils and staff return to school on Tuesday 18th April at 8.45 – I wish everyone connected with the school an enjoyable holiday.